The present disclosure relates generally to information handling systems, and more particularly to the provision of a virtualization system on a plurality of information handling systems.
As the value and use of information continues to increase, individuals and businesses seek additional ways to process and store information. One option is an information handling system (IHS). An IHS generally processes, compiles, stores, and/or communicates information or data for business, personal, or other purposes. Because technology and information handling needs and requirements may vary between different applications, IHSs may also vary regarding what information is handled, how the information is handled, how much information is processed, stored, or communicated, and how quickly and efficiently the information may be processed, stored, or communicated. The variations in IHSs allow for IHSs to be general or configured for a specific user or specific use such as financial transaction processing, airline reservations, enterprise data storage, or global communications. In addition, IHSs may include a variety of hardware and software components that may be configured to process, store, and communicate information and may include one or more computer systems, data storage systems, and networking systems.
Some consumers may utilize an IHS or a plurality of IHSs to create virtualization systems that may include a virtual IHS and/or a plurality of virtual IHSs, some of which may be identical to each other with regard to, for example, virtual hardware and/or software on the virtual IHSs, and some of which may be different from each other with regard to, for example, virtual hardware and/or software on the virtual IHSs. A virtual IHS is a software implementation of a physical IHS that executes programs like the physical IHS. For example, a virtualization layer may be installed on an IHS or a plurality of IHSs that allows multiple operating systems to run concurrently within virtual IHSs on the IHS or IHSs, dynamically partitioning and sharing the available physical resources of the IHS or IHSs such as, for example, the central processing unit (CPU), storage, memory, input and output (I/O) devices, and/or a variety of other resources known in the art. While the virtual IHSs may run on an single IHS, they behave as though they were separate IHSs. A plurality of virtual IHSs may be different from each other with regard to operating system configuration information such as, for example, IHS name, user accounts, network settings, etc., even though the plurality of virtual IHSs are identical in every other respect. The provision of these virtualization systems raises a number of issues.
Typically, a customer who orders a virtualization system from an IHS manufacturer is required to set up the virtualization system themselves. For example, the customer who orders the hardware and software for the virtualization system may need to physically connect all of the components of the virtualization system, configure the storage arrays, create Logical Unit Numbers (LUNs) on the storage arrays, configure the virtualization software, and perform a plurality of other tasks known in the art for setting up a virtualization system. Such actions require the customer either possess significant knowledge of the various hardware and software components involved in the virtualization system, or pay the manufacturer or some other third party to physically set up the virtualization system.
Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide for improved virtualization system provision absent the disadvantages discussed above.